Rural Pediatric Network

Pediatric Alliance Webinar Series

All sessions are 12:30-1:30 p.m.

Virtual link will be emailed to registrants.

January 8 | Hematology–Sickle Cell Disease: Common Clinical Manifestations | Dr. Neha Desai, FAAP

Dr. Desai is a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She also serves as assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Desai earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Lincoln Memorial University-DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine prior to receiving her residency training at the University of South Carolina. She completed her fellowship training at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine/University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland. Dr. Desai’s clinical interests include benign hematology with an emphasis on sickle cell disease and community outreach.

February 12 | Hypertension and Heart Disease | Dr. Michelle Wallace and Dr. C. Wesley Lindsey

Dr. Wallace is a pediatric cardiologist with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology and the medical director for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology Preventive Cardiology program. She is an assistant professor of pediatrics at Emory School of Medicine and adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine. Dr. Wallace received her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine, completed her pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center and completed her cardiology fellowship at Duke University Medical Center. Outside of preventive cardiology, her clinical interests include management of congenital heart disease from fetal stage to adolescence. She has been honored with the Emory School of Medicine Site Based Award for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Emory Women of Excellence Award for Distinguished Leadership. Dr. Wallace has also been recognized over multiple years by Georgia Trend Magazine and Atlanta Magazine as a Top Doctor.

Dr. Lindsey earned his medical degree from East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine, where he completed a dual residency in adult and pediatric medicine. He completed his fellowship in pediatric cardiology at Emory University. Dr. Lindsey is board certified in pediatric cardiology and works in the Fetal Cardiology Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology, providing fetal diagnoses of CHD and counseling for expectant parents to prepare for complex births. He also serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition.

March 12 | Nutrition and Healthy Eating | Wendy Palmer, MS, RDN, LD, CHES

Palmer is a registered dietitian and certified health education specialist with more than 20 years of experience in the field of community and child wellness. As a manager, Wendy has been instrumental in the development and implementation of many of Strong4Life’s initiatives aiming to impact child wellness in Georgia. Palmer earned her bachelor’s from Ithaca College in community health education and master’s in health care policy and management. She completed a dietetic internship at State University of New York at Stony Brook.

April 9 | Infectious Disease: Measles | Amber Schmidtke, PhD

Dr. Schmidtke received her PhD in medical microbiology and immunology from Creighton University School of Medicine. Before her current role as associate professor of microbiology and assistant dean of student success at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine, she was an assistant professor at Mercer University School of Medicine and worked in public health at the CDC. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Schmidtke became one of the most trusted voices in Georgia and the South, authoring a popular newsletter and podcast, consulting government and private entities, and offering countless media interviews.

June 18 | Management of Acute Sickle Cell Disease Pain | Beatrice E. Gee, MD

Dr. Gee earned her MD from Tufts University School of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Boston Children’s Hospital and her pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She was on the faculty of the Department of Pediatrics at Morehouse School of Medicine from 1998–2019. In 2019, she became the director of Aflac Sickle Cell Comprehensive Pain Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Emory University School of Medicine. In December 2023, she was named the director of the Aflac Sickle Cell Program and Teresa White Endowed Chair. Dr. Gee conducts investigator-initiated research focusing on blood biomarkers to predict future stroke or development of severe pain in children with sickle cell disease, and she has been a collaborator on NIH-sponsored clinical trials in sickle cell disease.

July 9 | Arthritis and Joint Conditions | Kelly Rouster-Stevens, MD, PharmD, MSc

Dr. Rouster-Stevens is the director of medicine and a pediatric rheumatologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She is a professor of pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Rouster-Stevens earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Purdue University and her medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She completed her pediatric residency at Wake Forest University’s Brenner Children’s Hospital, followed by a fellowship in pediatric rheumatology and a master’s degree in clinical investigation at Northwestern University.

August 13 | Early Detection of Autism | Sarah Rotschafer, PhD

Dr. Rotschafer earned her doctorate in neuroscience from the University of California, Riverside, and joined the Mercer University School of Medicine faculty in 2018. She received a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine to improve autism education throughout Georgia, with an emphasis on rural areas. As part of that project, Dr. Rotschafer created the Autism ToolKit and the “Autism in Rural Georgia: Challenges and Solutions” online course for physicians and health care workers. She also maintains a laboratory where she investigates sensory processing changes associated with conditions on the autism spectrum using animal modeling.

September 10 | Dermatology | Joshua E. Lane, MD, PhD, MPH, MBA

Dr. Lane is a dermatologist and Mohs micrographic surgeon at Lane Dermatology and Dermatologic Surgery. He completed his undergraduate studies in biology at Vanderbilt University. He earned his medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine. He completed a transitional internship, followed by residency training in dermatology at the Medical College of Georgia. He completed a fellowship in Mohs micrographic and reconstructive surgery. He serves on the faculty at Emory University School of Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine and the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. Lane serves in the U.S. Air Force Air National Guard as a flight surgeon at the rank of lieutenant colonel.

October 8 | Sports Injuries & Physical Therapy | Stephen Miller, MD

Dr. Miller trained in pediatrics at Duke University Medical Center and later in pediatric sports medicine at Children’s Hospital of Akron. He is board-certified in both pediatrics and sports medicine. He enjoys helping young athletes manage musculoskeletal injuries. His clinical interests include running injuries, pitching injuries and concussions. Miller joined Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in the Fayetteville office after practicing pediatric sports medicine in Virginia Beach for more than 15 years.

November 12 | Epilepsy and Nervous Disorders | Sonam Bhalla, MD

Dr. Bhalla serves as program director for the Epilepsy Fellowship and co-director of the Neonatal Neurology Program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. She is also an assistant professor at Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Bhalla completed medical school in Mumbai, India. She pursued an international elective at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City to learn more about advances in pediatric neurology, which inspired her to undertake further training in the United States. She completed her residency in child neurology at the University of Louisville, where she served as chief resident and received the Chairman’s Achievement Award. Following residency, she trained at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C. She completed a fellowship at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, where she received specialized training in the management of benign and drug-resistant childhood epilepsies.

Rural Pediatric Continuing Education Conference

May 16, 2025 |  9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Conference Topics:

Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease | Neha Desai, DO Pediatric Hematology, Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine

Measles: The Newest Outbreak | Amber Schmidtke, PhD Associate Professor of Microbiology and Assistant Dean of Student Success, Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine

Concussion Management in the Primary Care Office | Stephen Miller, MD, FAAP Pediatric Primary Care Sports Medicine, CPG – Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta

Hypertension in Children | Michelle C. Wallace, MD Medical Director, Preventive Cardiology, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine

Pediatric Endocrinology | Jessica Hutchins, MD, Pediatric Endocrinologist, Atrium Health Levine Children’s; Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Mercer University School of Medicine

Telehealth Matters: Keeping Rural Pediatric Care Close to Home | Ed Honeycutt Senior Telehealth Project Manager, Mercer University School of Medicine

Panel Discussion: Lessons from Rural GA Pediatric Providers—Bridging Gaps in Address Patient Challenges

Credits:

CME and CNE Credits are available: This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Medical Educational Council of Pensacola and Mercer University School of Medicine. MECOP is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Medical Educational Council of Pensacola designates this live activity for a maximum of 5.5 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM.

Did you miss it? Watch the conference sessions:

Autism in Rural Georgia Conference

July 17-18, 2025 | 9 a.m-4 p.m.

This is a skills-based, two-day conference exploring the latest developments and practical solutions for autism care. It will be held in the Presidents Dining Room on Mercer University’s Macon campus.

Who should attend?

• Families and caregivers
• Day care providers
• School professionals
• Physicians and health care workers

Free event, lunch provided.

Conference Day 1: Thursday, July 17

• Recent Developments in Supporting Autistic Children and their Families
  • Presented by: Nathan Call, PhD, BCBA-D, Interim Vice President, Marcus Autism Center; Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine; Associate Division Chief of Clinical Affairs, Autism and Related Disorders
    
• Katie Becket 101 & Beyond
  • Presented by: Debbie Dobbs, MS, Founder & Managing Director of Debbie Dobbs Advocacy, LLC
• Georgia’s Autism State Plan: An Overview
  • Presented by: Maliha Haider-Bardill, Autism Project Manager, Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Office of Crisis and Transition Services
• Autism Toolkit
  • Presented by: Sarah Rotschafer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine
• Navigating Feeding Challenges for Children on the Autism Spectrum
  • Presented by: Emily Kate Rubio, PhD, BCBA, Licensed Psychologist, Children’s Multidisciplinary Feeding Program at the Marcus Autism Center; Assistant Professor, Division of Autism & Related Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine
• Tackling the Transition: Maximizing Adulthood on the Spectrum
  • Presented by: Kirnel D. Grishby, PhD, Certified School Psychologist, President & CEO of REACH A.K.G. Education Consultants, LLC

Conference Day 2: Friday, July 18

• Interactive Breakout Session: Connecting Through Communication
  • Presented by: TeamUp Therapy
    
  • In this interactive session, caregivers and educators will learn simple, practical ways to support communication with kids and teens with autism. You will leave with tools that empower you to encourage connection and communication in everyday routines.
• Interactive Breakout Session: Behavioral Supports
  • Presented by: Jennifer Hodnett, PhD, BCBA-D, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine
  • Strategies to understand and reduce challenging behavior.

CME and CNE Credits:

• Day 1: 5.5 credits
• Day 2: 4.5 credits
• A max of 10 credits are available for attendance on both days.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Medical Educational Council of Pensacola and Mercer University School of Medicine. MECOP is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The Medical Educational Council of Pensacola designates this live activity for a maximum of 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits^TM.

Register: